#BeStrong

Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord.

(Psalm 31:24)

Meditation

How can I be strong without the God of heaven and earth strengthening me? How can I be courageous without him, when everything feels like it’s coming against me? I have never been in any kind of life-threatening situation, like combat, but God gives strength to those who belong to him. I know for sure that I wouldn’t want to be in that situation without knowing who protects me. It’s true that just because a person is saved and following Jesus, they are not necessarily protected from being killed, but he does protect their soul. I can be courageous knowing that if I were to die, I would be going into the presence of my God and king. The Lord God is the source of my strength and courage.

I recently met a person who has a disease that will eventually kill him. He is a relatively young man of fifty-seven years in age. There is no cure, he and his doctors can only push back against the inevitable by treating the symptoms. He said he probably has less than five years to live. I could tell by the way he talked, he had no faith system beyond what his doctors were doing for him. He was both bitter and scared, although he didn’t want anyone to see his fear. He would make jokes about his condition that were very hard to laugh at. The jokes weren’t vulgar, they were a dark humor that wasn’t funny to anyone else but him. It was actually pretty easy to see how afraid he is. I can’t imagine being in his shoes and not having my courage bolstered by a loving savior to strengthen me.

No one is promised tomorrow. The moment we’re born, the count down begins to our eventual death. Some of us get to be here longer than others, but we will all die one day. The difference between a nonbeliever and a believer is how we deal with that reality. Before I was saved, the thought of dying was very frightening. I didn’t sit around quaking in fear, but it was definitely a subject I didn’t want to contemplate. Once I submitted my life to Christ, I no longer had those fears. An atheist once told me I belonged to a death cult because I longed to be with the Lord. While it’s true I long to be with Jesus in heaven, I love being here with my family and friends, sharing the gospel of Christ with as many as I can. My hope is in him, and I trust him to guard my soul no matter what happens to me in this life. If you don’t have that hope, it’s easy to give your heart to Jesus.

Prayer Time

Heavenly Father, you are Holy above all others, and all of the strength that we need is offered to us from your hands. Our hope is in you, our trust is in you, and our faith is in you because you alone are good. Father at times like we are living in right now, when the whole world seems to be going crazy, it’s easy for us to cower in the corner trying to avoid conflict. There’s a lot to be afraid of in this life. There’s the threat of violence that can pop up anywhere. We ask you to protect us and keep us from dangerous situations. However, strengthen our hearts if our death is imminent. Give us the courage to face our death as just a doorway we cross to come into your presence. Help us to share your good news for as long as we have breath in this life. Yes, Lord, our hope is in you. It’s not the kind of hope a small child has for a desired birthday gift. This is a confident assurance of a promised outcome. You have assured us of an eternity with you if we continue to abide in Jesus. It’s in his precious name, we pray. Amen!